Art Deco El Paso Museum of Art August 25 - December 4, 2015
I n t r o d u c t i o n
I
n the 1920s, one art movement aspired to rethink industrial
circles were developed to give a sense of an organic feel to
design as a fine art. Artists and proponents wanted to
such tapered shapes. This developed from nature; it had an
experiment and work with new materials that allowed for
aerodynamic essence that was technologically efficient. This was
decorative patterns to develop; that could be either machine
then applied to cars, trains and consumer products. Art Deco
made or handcrafted. A remote descendant of Art Nouveau, this
was influenced by cubism, the Bauhaus, and Vienna Secession
movement became known as Art Deco, which acquired its name
commingled with De Stijl and Suprematism as well as a
at the Exposition Internationale des, Arts Decoratifs et Industriels
penchant for Egyptian, Aztec, and Assyrian motifs. Streamlining,
Modernes, held in Paris in 1925. Art Deco, developed
zigzag, modern, and decorative geometry were used to express
“streamlined”, lengthened, symmetrical features, along with
the modern era of the machine while satisfying the passion for
simple, flat shapes, which alternate with shallow volumes in hard
decoration. Art Deco took on many forms, including architecture,
patterns. In the 1930s, industrial design
graphic design, jewelry and fashion.
Georges Lepape, Vogue magazine cover (“optical dress” by Sonia Delaunay), 1925.
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Architecture Art deco buildings were richly embellished with hard edged, low relief
The Chrysler building in New York City is an Art Deco style
designs, geometric shapes like chevrons and ziggurats, and stylized floral
skyscraper designed by architect William Van Alen for Walter P.
and sunrise patterns. Even though some buildings were embellished with
Chrysler in 1928. An outstanding example of Art Deco, the corners of
expensive handcrafted decoration, others were made with machine made,
the 61st floor is graced with eagles; on the 31st floor, it is ornamented
repetitive decorations, to perhaps keep costs down. Ornamental treatments
with replicas of the 1929 Chrysler radiator caps. The building is made
were kept to the visible parts of the building. In Art Deco, rectangular
of masonry, with steel frames and metal cladding. Another example,
blocky forms were geometrically arranged, then broken up by curves and
Rockefeller Center, built by the Rockefeller family in 1930 and completed
other ornamental elements. Art Deco materials included stucco, concrete,
in 1939 commissioned a large number of artists to complete murals,
smooth-faced stone, and terracotta. Steel and aluminum were often used,
mosaics, and sculptures, including Isamu Noguchi, whose stainless steel
along with glass and decorative opaque plate glass. For all its panache,
bas-relief, News, over the main entrance to 50 Rockefeller Plaza was
Art Deco was immensely practical in execution.
largest metal bas-relief in the world at the time of its completion.
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Top: Lee Lawrie, Sound, polychromed limestone carving detail from Rockefeller center, 1933. Left: Rockefeller Family, Rockefeller Center, 1930-1939. Center: William Van Alen, Chrysler Building, 1931. Right: Unknown, Drama mask decoration, outside radio city music hall, 1920-1930.
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Edward McKnight Kauffer, A.M Cassandre and others played a major role in developing the Art Deco approach to graphic design. Kauffer began his art education in 1912 in Chicago at the Art Institute. However, he felt his mentors were not on top of new developments in art and so he decided to move to Europe. After living in Munich and Paris, he traveled to London when World War I began in 1914. For the next quarter of a century, a steady stream of posters and other graphic design assignments enabled him to apply the invigorating principles of modern art, particularly cubism, to the problems of visual communication.
Left: A.M Cassandre, Au Bucheron, 1923. Center: A.M Cassandre, North Star Paris- Amsterdam night train, 1927. Right: E. McKnight Kauffer, Daily Herald ,1918. Next Page: Left: A.M. Cassandre, L’intransigeant,1925. Right: A.M. Cassandre, L’Atlantique,1931.
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One of the pieces designed by Kauffer is a poster designed for
Cassandre’s creations were always bold and simple
the Daily Herald in1918. It is based on the designers’ earlier
concentrating on the essence of two-dimensionally and of
futurist- and cubist-inspired print of flying birds. Kauffer returned
course simplified with planes of color. A.M Cassandre was
to America at the start of World War II and remained there until
passionate for letterforms, which was reflected in his work.
his death in 1954.
Cassandre was able to establish strong, concise artworks by
A.M Cassandre immigrated to Paris at the age of fourteen from
combining telegraphic copy, powerful geometric forms, and
the Ukraine. Cassandre was born to a Russian mother and a
symbolic imagery created by simplifying natural forms into
French father. Later on, Cassandre studied at the Ecoles des
almost pictographic silhouettes. In A.M Cassandre’s poster for
Beaux Arts and also at the Academie Julian. His graphic design
the ocean liner L’Atlantique from 1931 the ship is constructed on
career began at the age of twenty-two creating posters
a rectangle, echoing the poster’s rectangular edges.
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Art Deco Jewelry used unexpected materials such as onyx, jade, lapis or corals. Platinum mounts were both malleable and discreet, creating the setting for color combinations with geometric shapes that were inspired by African and Asian cultures. Jean Fouquet was the son and grandson of famous Parisian jewelers; he designed highly innovative jewelry for his father’s firm. Simplicity and geometric shapes enhanced by materials chosen for their colors and textures were essential to his designs. In addition, Gerard Sandoz, a Parisian jewelry designer drew inspiration from the strong, simple forms of machinery and championed the use in jewelry of materials that were neither precious nor rare. In terms of fashion, it progressed to narrow, relaxed, almost semi-fitted styles, which resembled the Directoire and Empire period. Innovative seaming, draping, gauzy fabrics, beads, and feathers were all employed. This love of surface embellishment and abstract, graphic design is a general characteristic of Art Deco fashion. Menswear concepts included rayon, leather knits and others. Paul Poiret and Mariano Fortuny were among the most well known fashion designers of the period before World War I. Top: Jean Lambert-Rucki, Clip in Gold, 1937. Center: Gerad Sandoz, Gold Pendant, 1928 Below: Jean Fouquet, Onyz et jade, 1925. Next Page: Tamara De Lempicka, Autoportrait dans la Bugatti verte.
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— Coco Chanel Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel became popular for her elegant taste, which was suitable for all types of luxurious resorts. For the most part, the social circles of her lovers inspired Chanel. During her affair with the Grand Duke Dimitri she adapted his traditional Russian clothes into luxuriously embroidered garments for women and opened a house of embroidery for his sister, called the House of Kitmir. By the end of the 1920s, Chanel’s signature three-piece suit had been established, as was the little black dress she popularized, along with her costume jewelry.
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A creative but short-lived moment, lasting from just 1925 to 1940, Art Deco was embraced for the eclectic and refreshing change it provided. The influences of Art Deco today have re-emerged in fashion, architecture, graphic design, interior design, jewelry and more. Perhaps one of the most recent influences of Art Deco on today is the movie The Great Gatsby, set during the Deco era. This movie brought back Deco to the red carpets. Halle Berry wore a streamlined, geometric, and metallic shear Versace Dress to the Oscars in 2013. In addition, The Great Gatsby also inspired Vogue magazine to feature Art Deco on its covers, and other fashion designers such as Alexander McQueen and Channel included Deco styles in their 2013 collections. Art Deco is timeless in its sense of speed, glamour, and luxury and will never grow old.
Right: Unknown,The Great Gatsby, 2012. Clockwise- Previous page: Left top: Halle Berry, Wearing Versace at Oscars, 2013. Center top: Chanel, Spring season, 2013. Right: Vogue, Spring Dressing made easy, 2013. Center bottom: Alexander McQueen, Art Deco inspired ensemble, 2013. Left Bottom: Versace, Fall Collection, 2013.
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